Rotek’s last contract proposal – in May – was rejected by United Steelworkers Local 8565 by a vote of 122-2. The workers remain on the picket line, saying the company’s contract offers call for too many wage and holiday concessions. German conglomerate ThyssenKrupp owns Rotek, and says it looks forward to a meeting set for Dec. 13.

Union President Bill Hyslop, who's been at Rotek for 34 years, says he has not heard from the company since the two sides met in October, when the union essentially accepted the company’s health benefits.

“We had countered with their healthcare proposal that they implemented with some tweaks to it -- where we would pick up the extra costs if we wanted extra coverage.”

Rotek says the workers are on strike. The union calls it a lockout, saying members walked after the company imposed its last, best contract offer in January. Hyslop expects a ruling by early next year from the National Labor Relations Board on who’s right. Until then, workers are receiving unemployment – a rarity in strike situations – although Rotek has filed an appeal to that as well.

Listener Comments:

They can appeal the unemployment all they want the state made a determination and it's final